Shoes—A Detail That Can Affect Your Job Chances

In the past two weeks, I have focused my attention—while commuting by subway into the city—on feet. It started when I glanced across the aisle at a professionally dressed traveler who neglected (or chose not) to wear socks in his shiny loafers. Either way, he seemed unfinished.

There have been many interesting pairs of feet in the stations and trains. Some are shabbily shod with worn down heels, thin spots, dulled and scuffed leather, and even worse. Then there are the flip flops (even on cold days), humongous furry boots (even on warm days) and enormously long-pointed, needle-heeled showy shoes that make my feet hurt looking at them. Most others are wearing walking shoes for the commute, presumably because they have shoes at the office reserved for wearing at work only.

If you are a job seeker, your footwear decisions can be very important. Shoes can offer a lot of clues about you. Reportedly, many recruiters and hiring managers take notice of what’s on your feet the moment you walk into the interview room. And more often than not, first impressions can determine your fate. Within seconds, assumptions are being made as to whether you will fit in to the company culture.

Clean, polished, sensible but stylish shoes that complement your outfit, preferably a tailored suit in a neutral color, send a clear message that you pay attention to detail and want to make a good presentation. They mean you want the job. Paying attention to such a seemingly small detail will also take the interviewer’s focus off your feet and bring it back to you, where it belongs.